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Homogenous Korea yet to discover multiculturalism

ASHLEY HALL: Korea is one of Asia's most racially homogenous countries and its culture values ethnic purity.

But recent economic growth has attracted large numbers of migrants.

Jasmine Lee is the country's first non-ethnic Korean to be elected to the country's parliament. She says the government needs to do more to teach Koreans about accepting multiculturalism.

James Oaten reports from Seoul.

(Sound of Korean music)

JAMES OATEN: Justine Tiempo migrated to Korea 10 years ago for an arranged marriage.

It was a difficult time for the Filipino national, isolated in a new country because of a lack of language skills, and a Korean attitude hostile to foreigners.

JUSTINE TIEMPO: There are some person that are very welcoming, but sometimes I had the experience that they disregarded some foreigners before. Yes, I have those experiences that I was neglected, and I was disregarded because I am a foreigner.

JAMES OATEN: Since then, Korea's migrant population has more than doubled - to 1.5 million and that's creating problems for the government.

This is representative Jasmine Lee of the ruling Saenuri Party.

JASMINE LEE: The government is actually very unprepared for the fast rise of the immigrants in the country.

JAMES OATEN: In April the former Filipino TV star became the first non-Korean born member of parliament but her victory attracted an ugly backlash.

She's been the target of a racist online campaign questioning her right to live Korea.

By 2020, one-in-five families in Korea will be multicultural. To help cope with the influx, migrant community centres have been springing up in Seoul, to equip migrants with language and employment skills.

The government's also implementing educational and counselling services, as well as translation hotlines, but there's still a long way to go.

Last year, a government survey of 2,500 people showed only 36 per cent welcomed migrants.

Jasper Kim from Asia-Pacific Global Research explains.

JASPER KIM: We're seeing non-Koreans coming into South Korea, not just to visit but also to live on a permanent basis. This is fundamentally new. It's a paradigm shift for South Korea. It's a country that really values being a homogenous society and you'll see that when Koreans talk, they speak in terms of, well, this is our country. Woori Nara is the way the expression that's being used over and over again.

"I love Korea" is an amalgamation of six anti-migration groups, who claim to have more than 20,000 members.

Ryu Byung-Kyun is one of six leaders from the new political party.

RYU BYUNG-KYUN (translated): Crimes by foreign workers are serious. I'm not sure it's a matter of their low educational background in slums but they do not follow social norms easily and often have impulses towards criminal behaviour. These foreign workers do not try to adapt to Korean norms, customs and cultures even though Korea is spending a lot of money for their education and welfare.

JAMES OATEN: But representative Jasmine Lee says she's just the start of a modern, multicultural Korea.

JASMINE LEE: We cannot force them to be Koreans, we have to understand where they're coming from, and what they're thinking.

JAMES OATEN: She says a culturally-pure Korea will eventually become a thing of the past.